Hever Castle has been on my to-go-to list ever since I discovered how close it is to where I (and now we) live. The Tudor period is probably one of the areas of English history I know the most about, so the thought of visiting Hever Castle, home of Anne Boleyn - the second wife of Henry VIII and the woman who helped encourage him to break with the Catholic Church - was very exciting for me. As you may know by now, one of the many things I love about living in England is being able to stand in the places that I have read about and studied in school.
Hever station is only a short train ride from where we live - about forty or fifty minutes direct from London Bridge - and from the station it's a relatively short, easy walk to the castle. It takes a little over ten minutes if you take the public footpath through a couple of fields (make sure you don't mind dodging sheep and their poop), or about twenty minutes if you walk along the roads, though there are no pavements and the roads are fairly narrow. Trains along the London - Hever route ran hourly, making it a very easy day trip for us. Hever Castle also did not disappoint. I'd read about it's award-winning gardens and then, of course, there's the historical side, but there was actually a lot more to keep us busy that I expected. The first thing we did after buying our tickets (only £16.75 each) was to walk through the Kent and Sharpshooters Yeomanry Military Museum. It's a tiny little building immediately by the entrance - hard to miss thanks to the tank parked outside and the delicate red poppies growing along the outside of the building. The Castle is much smaller than I expected, only a portion of the main building open to the public. Still, there was enough to see: exhibits ranged from the Boleyn's story, both the improvements Anne's father and grandfather made to the castle, and a bit about Anne and Henry's courtship, to the various films that used the castle as a site and setting, right the way to the Astors, the American family who bought Hever Castle in 1903 and spent $10 million restoring it. Some of the rest of the Castle and outer buildings have been converted into luxury accommodation, as apparently Hever is also a wedding and event venue. There was actually a wedding reception at the castle that afternoon, down by the lake. Sean and I scoped it out before they closed it to the public, and it would make for a stunning venue though probably a horrendously expensive one.
The lake is actually where we made our way after the Castle, having paused briefly to have some of our picnic. We went through their Italian garden, where Sean told me he would patiently walk slowly while I took all the photos I wanted, and came down to the portico where they were setting up for the wedding and also where they had rowing boats and pedalos for hire. We then wound our way back up to the main castle via the rose gardens.
Sean was particularly excited to try the mazes. The water maze was our favourite. Though it was completely open, the aim was to reach the tower in the middle without getting wet and there was only one dry route through the maze. So Sean and I channeled our inner Indiana Jones and negotiated the slick paving stones between the little streams, dodging water jets and pretending to step on the pressure blocks just as the other was stepping over the fountain spouts. Children in bathing suits dodged around us, delighting in getting wet. One generous boy was pointing out all the bits we wanted to avoid if we didn't want to get wet, and showed us how to avoid tripping the jets on a few of the bridges. We made it to the middle dry, but Sean insisted we do it again since we had technically cheated and not actually found the dry route through the maze. It was a lot of fun. The second one, a 100 year-old yew hedge maze - was much more straightforward. I think we only dead-ended twice before we found our way to the middle. Definitely not like that time when I was sixteen and got lost in a corn maze on Halloween. I'm not sure if that was just because this maze was smaller or because of Sean's better sense of direction. We did end up in a debate along the way over whether 'labyrinth' would be a more accurate name for the two puzzles. I thought both were technically labyrinths, because you were trying to get to the middle and not get to an exit. Sean argued that a maze had multiple routes, some of which dead end where a labyrinth has only one route you can follow. Does anyone know what the real difference between the two is? Let me know if you do!
Apart from the mazes, we went for a forty-minute walk around the lake, stopping at the Japanese tea house built over the water and at the two WWII pill boxes we saw along the route. We also paused to admire the gorgeous meadow flowers that were blooming everywhere and then again at the waterfall we passed, which had Sean clambering over tree roots and rocks to get as close as possible and me following and taking lots of photos of him (and the waterfall, of course. But mostly him.)
The afternoon wound down with the two of us finding a bench on a stepped patio with a stunning view of the castle and picking at what was left of our picnic lunch while he tried to explain to me what makes a castle a castle (given that Highclere Castle is not, apparently, actually a castle). If you think you have the answer to that one too, let me know in the comments! On the way out of the grounds, we did a quick walk-through the playgrounds, specifically the Tudor Towers playground, which is an enormous wooden castle with slides, ropes, nets, and swinging punching bags with knights painted on them. Sean and I lamented the fact that they didn't have those sorts of playgrounds when we were growing up, and we jokingly agreed that we'd have to bring his nephew with us when he was old enough to give us an excuse to play in the castle as well.
Another short walk through the sheep fields (and an unfortunate, painful brush with stinging nettles) and we were back at the train station, headed home. It was a fantastic way to spend a Monday, and a relatively inexpensive one as well. Weekends would have been better as they have jousting and archery demonstrations on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months, but even without that it was still well worth the trip. Tags
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In August Sean and I got to play host and tour guide to my best friend and her parents, as they came over from Canada to explore London. I loved it; I got to see Jenn, share my love of London with her, get to know her parents more socially, and Sean got to know Jenn better. It was a winning combination.
Aside from pubs and museums and other landmarks, we also took a day to visit Windsor Castle. I’ve been to Windsor before and even if you aren’t interested in the Castle it’s a beautiful town to visit. Great pubs, restaurants, shopping, and a stunning riverside. That being said, the Castle is well worth a visit. As grand and extravagant as the interior is, I enjoyed being out in the grounds much more. The walkways are a maze of roads and paths between buildings and through gardens. The Castle is built into the side of a hill so as you walk along you are at times taking in a stunning panorama of the town and at others hemmed in by towering stone walls and steep hills of immaculately maintained gardens. tags
My brother and his wife left a couple of days ago; I waved them off at the airport as they were weaving through security to make their way back to Canada. They weren't quite out of sight before I said to Sean, 'Right, let's go.'
If I had stood to watch them go much longer the tears might have spilled over. I've never been outwardly sentimental or emotional - in high school I was jokingly nick-named the ice queen - but the last few times I've said goodbye to my family have been tearful. It's been an incredible two weeks though, sharing my life and sites and home with them. While Jason has visited London before, Renée never has, and Jason hasn't visited since I've moved here. Much of their sightseeing around London was done while I was still working. We'd catch up in the evenings over dinner, or Sean and I'd meet them in London for drinks at a pub or, on one occasion, a visit to the theatre. (Wicked was just as good the second time around - I recommend seeing it!) It was during the second week, when they began to wind down their frenetic sightseeing, that I got to play the tourist with them. The first thing I did that second week was introduce them to Sean's family. They have made me feel so welcome here since I've been with Sean and it was important to me that my family got the chance to meet them. I feel a little guilty imposing on Sean's mum, but she and Jo now have an open invitation to visit Canada and stay with Jason and Renée, so I'm not too worried.
We also visited Highclere Castle together - for those who aren't familiar with it, it's the stately home that was the filming location for Downton Abby. The weather wasn't as fine as it had been the week before, but the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy the house and the grounds. There was something thrilling about being on a filming location of this favourite show. I know it seems silly, but it brings the fantasy of the screen to life a little, to be able to actually stand where the stories happened. You can almost imagine yourself a part of them. I felt the same kind of thrill when Sean and I visited Harewood House, a filming location for Victoria. The history of the Carnarvon family was also interesting though, and I particularly liked noting the moments that must have inspired the show's writer. There are tiny threads of truth woven throughout the fictional Crawley saga that were a delight to discover. And Sean (who loathes period dramas and was thoroughly uninterested in the Downton Abby connection) perked up considerably when he realised there was an exhibition on Egypt and the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb (the 5th Earl of Carnarvon played a major role in the find).
The other big tourist trip was a day tour by coach to Stonehenge and Bath. We booked through Premium Tours and it was a really lovely day. The tour guide was funny and informative and the journey fairly comfortable. I was fascinated by Stonehenge. I still haven't quite got over my marvel at how old civilisation is here in England. To be standing beside something so many thousands of years old was stunning. When I stop to think about it properly, it drives me absolutely mad how much we don't know about our world. While we could find out a lot about how Stonehenge was built and the various stages of construction, archaeologists can only guess at why it might have been built. I absolutely burn to know these things but, like most of my questions about our world and the stars and, well, everything, really, I will have to bury my curiosity and just resign myself to never knowing any of the answers. The visitor's centre at Stonehenge featured photos of other henges around England and, while I suppose I should have realised it, I didn't quite think that there would be others. Some were only really visible from the air, as they're little more than dips and mounds in fields now, but others still had stones and other markers visible. Nothing nearly as grand and impressive as Stonehenge, but I think I might like to try and see them one day all the same. Bath was lovely too, but much the same as the last time I visited. Lunch was notable - we stopped in at Handmade Burger Co. (luckily just before the heavens absolutely opened up on us) for some truly delicious burgers. I'd recommend the Hawaiian chicken burger, which is what I had, but it was a tough choice as everything on the menu looked mouthwateringly good. Once we were back in London, we went out to dinner and then to a pub to celebrate Renée's birthday - and their last night in England.
It was an early start the next morning to make it to the airport, and all too suddenly it seemed it was time to say goodbye.
London is very much my home now and I am reaching the point where I can't quite imagine myself living anywhere other than England (assuming the home office will grant me leave to remain), but that doesn't change the fact that I miss spending time with my family. I used to be very close to my younger sister and my brother, and while I arguably still am, distance and a five hour time difference make it hard to feel that closeness. Having Jason and Renée come visit was a chance to properly renew that closeness and remind myself that I am still a part of my family. tags
In another instalment of my travelling solo experience, I went to visit Oxford a few days ago. I should really have called the colleges, like the websites suggested, because there was a graduation ceremony going on that afternoon and most of them were closed to the public. But I did manage to sneak into a few before they shut up shop and got to see plenty all the same.
It's terribly shallow and pop culture of me to say, when I'm surrounded by all that history and academia, that the things I was most keen to see were the places where they had filmed scenes for the Harry Potter films. As many of you know, my Facebook status that evening was headed with a picture from New College Cloisters and the phrase "I visited Hogwarts today!" I am unashamed however, as I thoroughly enjoyed the day. And I did listen to some of the historical bits that the tour guide was sharing. Mostly about Tolkien and Lewis Carroll...oh dear. That's not much better is it?
I also paid a visit to the site of England's first coffeehouse, which was cool. It is still a coffeehouse, though obviously not actually the same building. I had a lovely afternoon tea there. Well. The food was lovely. The tea itself actually left a lot to be desired. I also meandered around the buildings that are built on top of, over, and around the original town's medieval wall. And strolled casually past where they were filming an episode of Endeavour (the prequel series to Inspector Morse). I didn't see much beyond some vans, filming equipment, and some really nice old cars.
As lovely as the day was, and as excited as I was to 'visit Hogwarts', Oxford left me feeling a little disappointed. I wonder if it's because I was so taken with the greenery and openness of Cambridge, or if it's because I started the tour off with a migraine, but I definitely think I prefer Cambridge to Oxford. Though don't let the tour guide hear me say that. She was a zealous propagandist for Oxford and quite vehemently denounced Cambridge. I find the rivalry between the two universities quite funny. When I was in Cambridge the punt guide had some snarky comments about Oxford, and it was quite amusing to come to Oxford and hear the same sorts of things said about Cambridge. It's all quite good natured of course and I'm not sure how much of it, if any, is just a show for the tourists. I am growing quite adept at these day trips, and with the trains running so frequently and just about everywhere, it's so easy to do! I'm going to Brighton in a few days to explore that city and then to go for a hike up to a castle near Shoreham-by-Sea. And all of these trips are costing me less than £20 for a return ticket. It's fantastic. When my dad comes over for a visit I am going to take him out on a bunch of these too; after we get back from Scotland, of course. We're planning to explore the Cliffs of Dover together, and I think that might be the day trip I'm most looking forward to. tags
I couldn't tell you where it came from, but I have had this attitude for most of my life that I shouldn't do things on my own. It's not safe, it's weird, it's not fun...whatever.
I know a lot of people here - I know a lot of Canadians here - who are just as eager to travel and see things as I. But, of course, they're also busy with their own jobs and lives and significant others so they aren't always around when I want to do something. For the longest while I wasn't doing much because I didn't have anyone to do it with. That attitude of needing someone to go with has kept me back from a lot of things. But I'm getting over that! I went to Cambridge by myself this past half-term. Just a day trip, but really that's all I needed to do to see what I wanted there. It's a beautiful city, though I confess I stuck pretty much to the various colleges. It's only a 45 minute train ride from King's Cross and cost me about £18 for a return ticket. I was in the city by 11 in the morning, and it was a short, beautiful walk down to the University Botanic Gardens - my first stop of the day. I love the public gardens here in England: somehow they take a plot of land in the middle of a busy, buzzing city, and they create this island of peace. Water features, secluded benches, beautiful flowerbeds...the park was busy, and yet I never felt crowded. I had only expected to spend about an hour there at most - including lunch at the café, but I was actually there until just after one. Admission was only £5, and it was an all day ticket - I could leave and come back if I wanted (which I nearly did).
After that I made my way over to the city centre and the colleges. I spent a bit of time going back and forth along the main street because I couldn't decide if I wanted to go to Queen's College, King's College, the museum, or the tourism centre first. I wound up going to the Fitzwilliam Museum first, mainly to see their Renaissance Treasures exhibit. While interesting, the display I remember being most struck by was actually 'A Young Man's Progress'. It's a collaborative work and it features a series of photos in modern settings and clothes that emulate pictures from a fashion book from the 1520s. It was really incredibly done, and reminded me of what I often find myself thinking: no matter where you are in the world, or when, people are people. We aren't quite so distant from our predecessors of 500 years ago as we like to think.
Next up was King's College: disappointingly closed to the public due to exams. As were Queen's and Trinity. But I can tell you that the outside of the colleges is still really impressive and it was well worth the trip. I was really disappointed that Wren Library was also closed though. They have the original manuscript for Winnie-the-Pooh and also a copy of all Shakespeare's plays that has his own notations in the margins! Ah well, next time. Since I couldn't go into the colleges, I instead bought a ticket for a punt tour along the Cam. It was £18 and well worth it. The punt was comfortable, and the tour about 45 minutes long (£18 and 45 minutes seemed to be going hand in hand that day). Our tour guide, if you can call him that, was funny and quite good at punting (which, incidentally, is harder than it looks. We watched a number of ambitious newbies almost fall right into the river). We also got to see all the colleges from a different angle, and floated beneath the different bridges along the river, each with a story of its own. I could quite happily bore you all for ages by recounting each story (complete with photographs) but perhaps I'll leave that one alone. Though there is quite a good one about students rolling large, seemingly-stone ornamentations off one bridge at unsuspecting punters on the river...but no, I won't drag this out.
The Whipple Museum of the History of Science is worth a look - very small, but fascinating stuff in there. Mainly things from the Enlightenment onwards since that's when science as we know it really started to take off in the Western world. It was neat to see how they did things before computers. I particularly liked the astrolabes, which I'm always reading about in my fantasy novels but have never actually seen, and the earliest forms of calculators (well, what we would call calculators).
I ended the day at The Anchor, a pub right on the river with an outdoor terrace. I liked it. Out in the sunshine, with a family of swans nibbling weeds right by my table, and a group of students one table over celebrating the end of their exams. It was a great atmosphere, and I didn't mind the through traffic of pedestrians headed for the other street. Their drinks were pretty good (the pub's, not the pedestrians'), though I wouldn't really recommend the food - not bad, but uninspiring. All in all I had a lovely day. I wasn't lonely, or restless, or at any point feeling weird or unsafe. It was fantastic to be able to wander wherever I wanted, walk into whatever shop struck my fancy, and eat where I liked. I didn't have to ask anyone else their thoughts, or wonder if they were getting tired or hungry or if they liked boats. It was a surprisingly peaceful day, and exactly what I needed to bring me back to myself before the next half of term. Next solo day trip? Perhaps Oxford. Or Stratford-Upon-Avon. Or even Hever Castle. We'll see what strikes my fancy! tags |
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